


Calibration Therapy

by derekstilinski



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Caretaking, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Headaches & Migraines, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-04-02 02:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4041829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/derekstilinski/pseuds/derekstilinski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaidan isn't seen around the ship for a while, so Shepard enlists Garrus' help in locating him. Garrus finds him overcome by a migraine in his room, and decides to see what he can do to help. Helping out gets a bit more intimate than Garrus thought it would, but it's not like he minds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Calibration Therapy

**Author's Note:**

> My first crack at writing for the Mass Effect fandom. Let's hope it doesn't suck. I didn't read this over to check for mistakes, so if there are any, just point them out and I'll fix it. :)

When Shepard requests Garrus go find out were Major Alenko is, Garrus knows he isn't far, obviously. But Shepard is worried because he's not answering the calls they've been sending to him. So, Garrus postpones calibrating his guns even further and goes to find Alenko.

Exactly as guessed, Kaidan isn't hard to find... Although Garrus passes by his room once because he doesn't think he'd be in there in the dark. He's wrong. Kaidan winces when the door opens and the light floods in, squeezing his eyes shut tighter, hand settling over them.

"Who is it?" He asks, sounding beaten.

"Garrus," he observes Kaidan, "You weren't answering your calls."

"Oh," Kaidan blindly reaches and flicks his comm pad with his hand, "It was too bright, even on idle. Sorry... Were the calls from you?"

"No. Shepard." Garrus says quickly, then takes a moment, "It's fine, though. Just wanted me to check up on you."

Kaidan gives a little smile, "That's thoughtful of you. Thanks for coming by."

"Yes, well..." Garrus fidgets awkwardly, "Goodbye."

Kaidan nods just a bit before turning over on the couch. Garrus backs out of the room and watches the door close. That was odd. Kaidan sounded pained, but did not complain or ask for his help. It concerns him, so he heads to med bay.

Dr. Chakwas is at her desk reading over a report when Garrus pads in, and she looks up with a warm smile, "Garrus. What can I do for you? Do you need a checkup?"

"I'm not here for myself, doctor. I have concerns about Kai--Um, Major Alenko." He says, correcting himself at the last moment. He needs to look professional.

"Oh. Well, alright. What were you concerned about?" She asks.

"I've just seen him in his room. He wasn't answering any of his calls, and kept his eyes shut the whole time we spoke." Garrus tells her, and then thinks he maybe should have said the calls weren't from him, and that he was assigned to check on him.

Dr. Chakwas processes the information, raising an eyebrow, "And you think this is something medical? It sounds more emotional."

Garrus' mandibles flare a bit and he doesn't meet her eyes, "What? No. No, it's nothing like that. The Commander asked me to seek him out... He sounded as if he was in pain. He was lying on his couch with all the lights off. He mentioned his comm pad was too bright even on its idle setting. Is this some sort of odd human ritual?"

Chakwas looks more like she understands, "Ah, it's probably another migraine. His implant causes most of them."

"Is he going to be alright?" Garrus asks a little too eagerly.

Chakwas moves to a cabinet and takes out a capped syringe, filled with a sloshy purple liquid and a few alcohol wipes, "He's in a good amount of pain, but give him this, he knows what to do."

She hands it all to him and grabs a small bandage from her desk to give to him as well. Garrus looks the supplies over with scrutiny, "What will these do?"

She sits back at her desk, "It should take the edge off. He'll have to stay in the dark and rest for a while, but it'll pass. Hopefully it won't drag on like some of his other ones. Poor thing."

Garrus kind of wants to demand she go and check on him. But that would be rude. If she thinks a dingy syringe can help Kaidan, then okay.

But Garrus pulls up his omni-tool and searches the words 'human migraine' as soon as he's out the door.

He finds several results, and filters through them quickly, finding multiple lists of remedies. He passes through the kitchen, "EDI, do we have this certain brand of drink onboard?"

She takes a moment, scanning. Her voice comes from the ceiling, "I believe so. Are you planning to help Major Alenko?"

"Maybe. Why?" He replies, a bit defensively. She doesn't seem to notice.

"Jeff says that when his head is feeling unwell, he consumes light human foods. It boosts his body's efficiency to quell the head pain away. And it also calms the nausea in chronic migraine sufferers." She explains to him, very helpfully.

"Light human foods..." Garrus repeats, and thinks of human snacks, then how Liara likes crackers, "Asari and humans eat the same food."

He shrugs and grabs a packaged stack of them. He settles that and the medical supplies in a pouch at his hip, takes the drinks in his hands. He takes a small detour through the laundry and his own room.

He calls Shepard while getting things together, "Alenko is ill with a migraine. His comm pad is currently off due to the light it emits."

"Ah, shit. He's tough as nails for dealing with those. If you check on him again, tell him I say to feel better." Shepard says.

"What makes you think I'd be going back to see him?" Garrus asks, shoving a small vial into his pouch while trying to balance everything else in his hands.

"Because EDI told me right before you called that you were asking about remedies for him." Shepard says, and Garrus can hear the grin.

"I did not."

"I paraphrased." EDI comments.

Garrus huffs before clearing his throat, "Commander, I--"

"He'll appreciate it, Garrus." Shepard says, softer. Shepard knows him too well, has caught on to the held-close secret that is Garrus caring for Kaidan. He's never said it out loud and never intentionally hinted at it, but Shepard knows.

"Yes, Commander." He says, and closes the call.

He feels sheepish approaching Kaidan's room again. But he does it anyway because he won't just leave Kaidan to suffer. He opens the door and quickly closes it behind him, so the light is minimal. His display lights the way for him without interfering with Kaidan's comfort, and he pads his way over to the couch, laying things on the table and floor to free his hands.

He sits on the edge of the couch and gently settles a hand on Kaidan's shoulder, "Alenko?"

Kaidan shifts slightly, "Garrus? You came back. I thought you were Shepard leaving me reports or drugs."

"I've brought those," Garrus says, reaching into his pouch, "Drugs, I mean."

"What?" Kaidan asks, turning around and squinting in the darkness.

"I um, met with Chakwas after seeing you. Your behavior concerned me." Garrus says, and Kaidan touches the light at the end of the couch, casting a soft glow on its lowest setting.

"Oh, it's just a headache. Sorry I worried you," he says, and sees everything Garrus has brought him, "What... What's this stuff?"

Garrus' mandibles twitch nervously. Maybe he shouldn't have done this. Has he shown all his cards? Will Kaidan want him to leave? He takes a deep breath and manages to speak.

"For you... I thought I could make you more comfortable. Try to help the pain leave your body," he says, holding up the crackers, "Asari and humans eat the same food. They're not heavy."

Oh, spirits. Good job sounding moronic with that last bit, Vakarian.

But, Kaidan smiles at him. And his cheeks get a little pink. Which makes Garrus feel a hell of a lot better, since Kaidan was pale just a moment before. Kaidan pushes another pillow up under his head, "Thank you, Garrus. That's... really thoughtful. I don't know what to say."

Garrus hands him the syringe and accessories, "Say... You'll let me help you."

Kaidan hardly thinks about it, "I'd like that."

He swipes his skin with the alcohol wipe and gives himself the injection, which makes Garrus cringe, "Doesn't that hurt? You're... soft and it went right in."

Kaidan's brow is creased and he lets out a little hiss, recapping and discarding the syringe in the bin next to the couch, "Yeah, it strings. And this stuff is no joke. I'm grateful Chakwas trusts me with it,"

Kaidan fits the bandage on just before he starts to bleed, then looks to Garrus. He seems a little lost in thought and Kaidan touches his leg, "You're not wearing your armor. It's different."

Garrus snaps out of it, looking at Kaidan's hand, "I was tinkering in the armory. I wanted to relax and calibrate my weapons."

Kaidan sounds sad, then. He moves his hand away, "Oh. I'm sorry. Look, if Shepard told you to do this stuff, it's fine. You can go, you don't need to waste your time on me."

Garrus doesn't like the hurt look on his face, and stumbles over himself trying to talk it away, "Shepard didn't tell me to do this. I wanted to be here with you."

"But your weapons."

"Can be tended to later," Garrus soothes. He reaches for a drink canister, holding it out, "This is usually meant for replenishing the body after combat or sport, but I read it helps with migraines. Gives you the power you need."

"I love this stuff," Kaidan tells him, unscrewing the top, "I didn't know it could help for this."

"Yes, well, we'll find out." Garrus says, standing to fuss with organizing things.

"You really put some thought into this." Kaidan's voice is softer, like he's saying his thoughts out loud. He drinks slowly and listens to Garrus next to him.

Garrus unfolds the still-warm blanket he'd gotten from the laundry and lays it gently over Kaidan. Kaidan's eyes open to see, and he gives a smile, "Thought you might be cold. Know I always am."

"Palaven is a warm planet, warmer than Earth. Right?" Kaidan asks.

Garrus nods affirmatively, then takes the small vial from his pouch, "Give me your hand."

Kaidan holds out his hand without a thought, watching him through soft eyes. Garrus flushes a little blue under that gaze, and is thankful his neck is the only place it can be seen. It's probably too dark for Kaidan to see, even more thankfully. He opens the cap on the vial, settles his finger over the opening before tipping it.

"What is that?" Kaidan asks softly, as Garrus puts the vial upright and rubs the contents over the sensitive side of his wrist with his finger.

"Lavender oil. I purchased it on the Citadel when I realized the calming smell was not a person or place. It's said to have relaxation and pain reliving properties." Garrus tells him, rubbing it in with soft circles. Kaidan's skin is squishy and soft and Garrus is a fan.

Kaidan smiles, body relaxing slowly, "You're using your own personal stuff on me?"

Garrus stands and rubs just a little to Kaidan's temple, "Would you like me to stop?"

"No." Kaidan's smile widens, and his eyes drift shut again.

Garrus has the urge to run his hand through the Major's hair, soothe the ache in his head by smoothing his own fingers repeatedly over his forehead. He wants to lull Kaidan into rest and stay with him. He settles on the edge of the couch like before and closes the vial, tucks it away, "How are you feeling?"

"A little better. A lot more comfortable," Kaidan sets the drink canister on the table and looks at Garrus, "You're not comfortable, though. Here I am hogging the couch and letting you dote on me."

"You're the one that needs to feel better. I'm fine where I am." Garrus tells him, and Kaidan's hand comes to rest over his own. His mandibles flare excitedly and the warmth of Kaidan's hand feels good against his own.

"Thank you so much for this. It feels so nice to have you here." Kaidan says, and Garrus' display shows his heartbeat and dopamine rise when Garrus turns over his own hand, so they fit together palm to palm.

Garrus stays for a while, watching over him, and eventually moving up to his head, to rub at his scalp. Kaidan is relaxed like putty, humming sleepily as Garrus' hands file through his hair. He tries to tell Garrus how much he likes it, but Garrus leans down just short of touching their foreheads, shushing him softly with a thumb running across his cheek.

Kaidan tilts his head up and bumps his forehead to Garrus', chuckling sleepily when the turian's fingers stutter on his skin. He lays back down and guides Garrus after him, by a hand on the back of his crest. Garrus closes his eyes and lets out a somewhat shaky breath, any tension leaving his body at the feeling of them settled together like this.

"You'll stay, right?" Kaidan whispers, fingers gently kneading the back of Garrus' neck and crest.

"Do you know what this means? In my culture?" Garrus asks him, carefully nuzzling him. Kaidan chuckles.

"Yeah, I do," He says it like a joyful secret, and it hurts to bump their foreheads again, but he does it because it's worth it to hear the rumbling sound Garrus makes. He tries not to smile too wide, "So, an extra pillow for my bed, it is."

\--

Garrus leaves him in the early morning. Kaidan kept him warm all night, making sure he had the majority of blankets and, blushing, had asked if laying up against his side was okay. Garrus told him he was a little rough around the edges, compared to the other people he's laid beside, but Kaidan tucked himself up under his arm anyway. Garrus felt, and still feels, accepted and happy.

He leaves Kaidan a simple note, 'A few calibrations to do before the ship wakes, get some rest.'

They go throughout their respective daily tasks, and when Garrus catches Kaidan's eye in the hall, Kaidan's cheeks fill with pink and he smiles at him.

When they stop off at the Citadel, Kaidan stands next to him on the elevator. Garrus reaches over and touches his hand, and Kaidan's lips immediately turn up in a smile. Kaidan's fingers comfortably trap his, and if Liara turns her head and sees, she's not telling anyone.

Garrus wants to invite him to Apollo's, wants to have lunch with him and talk about their kiss. It was very considerate, giving him the kisses he's used to, and not trying to go for his mouth like humans usually do. He's about to ask as the elevator opens, but Kaidan squeezes his hand fondly before letting go, then tells Shepard he'll meet back up on the Normandy. So, Garrus just goes where he planned.

He spends time scrutinizing a batarian's 'calibrated' mods, and purchases upgrades for his weapons. He picks lunch up for himself and then heads back for the Normandy. That's when he's stopped by a young asari holding a small assortment of Earth flowers.

"What is this?" He asks, taking them cautiously. There's a red rose and a white rose, and then sprigs of purple around them. Garrus realizes that it's lavender, "Oh."

"White and red Terran roses together signify something along the lines of, 'I desire you intensely, but my intentions are honorable'. As for the lavender, well..."

"It was the only input I got," Kaidan says, walking closer from watching, "You tell two asari that you're trying to win someone's heart, and they make sure the message is delivered beautifully."

The asari smiles and lets them be alone, and Garrus takes a deep breath, needs to in order to calm his racing thoughts. He's admired Kaidan for a long while now, and they've been good friends until last night, and it feels as if he's an inch away from something much more with the weight of the flowers in his hand.

"You're not saying anything. Was this not the thing to do? I just thought because, well, last night." Kaidan is starting to look horrified that he's misread everything. He spent half the night tucked against Garrus' neck, where he's most vulnerable. He couldn't have misread that, right?

Garrus shakes himself into speaking, "I'm sorry, I'm not good at this. No, this is... it's good. A very human gesture, giving me plants."

Kaidan visibly softens, "Listen, I know touching foreheads is how turians kiss and show affection, and I knew what I was expressing when I kissed you... But it also means something for humans, too. It shows caring, and gives comfort. I got something out of it too, is what I'm saying. And I liked that."

"You didn't do it just to do it," Garrus feels his whole body start to warm, "You felt something from it as well."

"Yeah, and I thought you might have been taking pity on me or just using me for touch. But then you held my hand in the elevator from the docks, and you smiled at me when you saw me, and I... I want more of that," Kaidan shifts from foot to foot, red all along his cheekbones, "You've always made me feel important."

"You are important," Garrus says immediately, and Kaidan gives him a little smile, fidgeting nervously, "...That probably wasn't the declaration you were looking for."

"No, it's fine. Thank you. If um, if that's all you feel, then that's... fine." Kaidan nods.

"I want to kiss you again." Garrus blurts, just to get them on the same page, to be sure.

Kaidan's head whips up at that, "You do?"

Garrus chuckles, "Yes. Come here."

Kaidan steps closer with a wide smile, "Right here? In the middle of the Presidium?"

"Why not here?" Garrus leans down and Kaidan's hands frame his face quickly, wanting to guide them. Kaidan closes his eyes when their foreheads touch, fingers running softly over the plates of Garrus' face.

Garrus' shoulders relax and he basks in the feeling of Kaidan touching him so gently, so lovingly. Kaidan traces over his markings, doesn't mind the scars, and rubs Garrus' mandibles until they twitch for him. Kaidan traces around his mouth and then starts touching down his neck. Small, exploring swipes of his fingers and a teasing swirl has Garrus blushing and shuddering, "Spirits."

Kaidan chuckles, moving his hands back up to his face, "Whoops."

Garrus switches the flowers to his other hand and reaches up, dipping his head down to press his mouth to Kaidan's cheek in a human kiss. Kaidan looks surprised when he peeks, hands going for his waist. Garrus' toes curl in delight, "That's inappropriate."

Kaidan gasps and quickly detaches his hands, settling them cautiously on the center of his armor's chest plate, "Oh my god."

Garrus sputters with laughter, trying to angle his head right, "Stop making me laugh, I'm trying to kiss your mouth."

"O-Oh," Kaidan wets his lips, heart pounding. Garrus rubs his cheek fondly, leaning in and pressing a gentle, curious kiss to Kaidan's lips. They're soft and wet and Garrus immediately goes back in to kiss him again. Kaidan laughs softly at his eagerness and settles his hands on Garrus' face, maneuvering the tilt of his head, "Come here. Down a little more, yeah."

At the new angle, Kaidan's able to almost kiss him normally by human standards. It's a little more rough than he's used to, but he realizes he's very much okay with that. He holds Garrus to him, feeling Garrus' arm wrap around his middle, pull him close and flush up against him. Kaidan moans in surprise when Garrus laves his tongue over his lower lip, and in return his fingers dig into the now-open erogenous zone on the lower back of his crest.

Garrus makes a startled noise when he realizes his body is reacting too nicely to Kaidan's, plates shifting in multiple areas. He pulls back immediately from the tightened grip he has on Kaidan's back, feeling hot and embarrassed and wanting.

"Oh, spirits. I'm sorry, I..." he looks at the flush on Kaidan's cheeks, the warm, dazed look he's wearing. Garrus can't stop staring, especially at the new redness of his lips. He runs his thumb over Kaidan's lower lip, "Oh, hell."

Kaidan smiles shyly, fingertips running along Garrus' neck, "You just turned all blue right here. You okay?"

"We should go back to the ship," He says, hushed, "I'm very overstimulated."

Kaidan's face feels hot and he trips to follow when Garrus takes him by the wrist and leads him to the elevator.


End file.
